The Mukti Pandit Mahasabha has officially declared October 20 as the correct date for celebrating both Diwali and Payashraddha, effectively ending the ongoing debate over festival timing.
Bhubaneswar: The confusion over the date of Diwali celebrations in Odisha has been resolved. With the Mukti Mandap Pandit Mahasabha of Puri announcing that both Diwali and Paya Shraddha will be observed on October 20.
The official declaration by the Mukti Mandal Pandits made at a press meet has put an end to the debate caused by differing dates in different calendars.
As per the Pandit Mahasabha, Amavasya on October 21 will last only 14 minutes, which makes it inauspicious for celebrating Diwali. Based on astrological calculations, the Sabha declared that the rituals for Diwali and Paya Shraddha should begin from 3.23 pm on October 20.
The priests made it clear that celebrating Diwali on October 21 would not align with traditional Hindu norms. To arrive at this conclusion, religious scholars and astrologers thoroughly examined the lunar calendar and consulted ancient texts.
The Mahasabha has also appealed to the state government to declare October 20 as a public holiday for Diwali, in line with its findings.
